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Want a literary agent? Watch this.

If you’re an aspiring novelist who has put in the good work on learning your craft, and now wants to proceed to the getting publishing part, I hope you, too, read scores of books, articles, and blogs about the publishing industry. (The MUST-READ on this topic: The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published from The Book Doctors, Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry.)  After giving myself a basic pub-biz education,  hiring my  editor, Arielle…

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Zen and the Art of Waiting for an Agent (or Editor)

Einstein was right: time isn’t real. I know because I’ve fallen into the black hole between finishing my novel, The Renaissance Club, and waiting for an agent to offer to represent it. A seemingly endless span in which “Replies if interested” is the new “No, thanks.”It’s been two months and many queries. I’m growing anxious, which is not a help to a writer. So what to do while waiting so impatiently? I’ve read many articles…

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How to stay sane as a writer

That’s perennial question, along with its corollary: Should writers be sane? Or is crazy really better for the work. If there’s one thing that drives every writer and poet I know crazy it’s the topic of publishing. Publishing is like hunting dragons — you’re not even sure they exist, you know you need some magical arrow that’s not in your quiver, and really you don’t have a killer’s heart. Especially the poets. It’s such a…

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